Gyrating hairbrush



Patented Nov. 29,1949

GYRATING HAIRBRUSH Howard W. McCready, New York, N. Y., assignor to Edwin H. Tompkins, New York, N. Y.

Application August 31, 1944, Serial No. 552,109

2 Claims. (01. 15-22) This invention relates to hairbrushes, and particularly to those which are used not only for brushing the hair, but also for stimulating the scalp, inducing a more healthful condition therein, and improving the circulation of blood to the scalp.

An object Of the invention is to provide an improved hairbrush which may be employed in the usual manner to brush the hair and scalp, and which, at the same time and by the same brushing operation, will stimulate the circulation of the blood through the scalp and induce a more healthful condition of the scalp, with which a. more effective therapeutic action on the scalp may be obtained than has heretofore been possible, with which the bristles are carried on a member which may be removed quickly and easily for cleansing and sterilization, without any danger of injury to the gyrating mechanism within the body of the brush, with which the bristle carrying portion may be removed and replaced without the use of special tools, and which will be light in weight, compact, attractive in appearance, and relatively inexpensive.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hairbrush which may be used in an ordinary way to brush the hair and scalp, with which the bristles may be used at the same time to transfer gyratory impulses to the scalp, and with which the gyratory impulses will not be damped by the holding and grasping of the handle while the brush is being used.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims;

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a hairbrush constructed in accordance with this-invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation of the major part of the same;

Fig. 3' is a bottom sectional plan of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse, sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the brush illustrating a slightly difierent manner in which the bristle carrying member can be re'-- leasably secured in place; and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal, section elevation through the coupling between the handle and shell or housing, and showing a slight modification in the same.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the brush includes a housing I formed of a hollow shell 2 having an open face 3 with an outwardly facing shoulder 4 around substantially the entire periphery Of the opening space, but spaced inwardly from the open face a short distance. A plate 5 of suitable rigid material such as sheet metal is disposed across said open face and fiat against said shoulder 4. A member 6 which may be a plate of wood or plastic material, or any other suitable material, is disposed also across said face so as to fill it and to abut against said plate 5. This member 6 carrice the usual bristles I, as usual in hair brushes, and these bristles all extend in the same general direction from the outer face of the member 6 as shown in Fig. 2. The bristles are anchored in recesses in the member 6 in any suitable manner, as usual, in hairbrushes.

The shell 2, adjacent one end of the opening 3, is provided with a pair of flanges 8 that with the shoulder 4 form between them a recess, and the member 6 has a grooved or rabbeted edge portion 9 in its outer face, engaged beneath the ledges 8 when the member 6 is moved into position across the open face'3 of the shell. Suitable confining means is carried by the other end of the shell 2 and engages with the other end of the member 6 to confine it across the open face 3 of the shell. In this embodiment of the invention, the confining means is a latch 10 (Figs. 2 and 3) which is anchored at H to an end Wall of the shell 2 within the cavity 12 thereof. The latch I0 is urged toward the opposite end of the shell 2, and has a shouldered free end engageable with the outer face of the member 6 to secure member 6' in the open face of the shell, but which may be sprung in a direction endwise of the shell 2 sufficiently to release the member 6 and the plate 5. The plate 5 is provided with a notch I3 through which the latch l0 may extend.

A headed stud I4 may pass loosely through the latch in and carries a head to limit the movement of the latch toward the opposite end of the shell 2 when the member 6 and plate 5 are removed from across the open face 3. -The outer end of the latch I0 is provided with a beveled cam surface l5 engageable and cammed aside by an end edge of the plate and member 6 as those parts are moved into a position across the open face 3 after the opposite ends have first been engaged beneath the overhanging ledges 8. In this way the latch ill is cammed aside by the plate 5 and the member 6 as they are applied across the open face 3 of the shell 2, and when they reach their positions approximately against the shoulder 4, the latch will snap over the end of the member 5 and confine it to the shell 2. A leaf spring i6 is secured, intermediate of its ends, by a rivet If! to an interior face zone of the outer face of the plate 5 which abuts the member 6.

The free ends of the spring iii are normally bowed outwardly away from the plate 5, and are received within a cavity or recess I8 provided on the inner face of the member 6 which abuts the plate 5. When the member 6 is movedinto posi 5 f the aligned pins 35. This motor shaft is axially tion to close the open face 3 of theshell 2, it compresses the ends of the springjfiand urges the plate 5 against the shoulder 4, but this yieldingly urges the member 6 outwardly so as to press one end of the member 6 against the under faces of' theledg'esb and the other end against the shoulder on the latch "I 0. There is a slight clearance between the inner face of the member 6 and the outer face of the plate 5 when they are assembled, but the spring 16 prevents any rattling of the members 5 andS in the shell 2. The mem-' ber E can be moved inwardly against the action of the spring it slightly to facilitate its release from the latch l0. a r Y The shell 2, at one end, is provided with a passage l9 (Fig; 2) which, intermediate of its ends, is reduced in diameter as at 20, so as to provide a shoulder 2! between the ends of the passage I 9 and which faces cavity $2 in the shell 2. Cemented or otherwise secured in the reduced passage portion 28 is a soft, resilient rubber sleeve 22 which extends for the full length of the pas-' sageportion 2B. A handle 23 is disposed in alignment with the sleeve 22 at the outer end of the passage'portion 2B. A soft, rubber gasket rat is disposed against the outer end'of the sleeve 22 and the outer end face of the shell 2 surrounding the outer end of the passage portion 2d, and between'an end of the handle and the outer end of sleeve 22. The handle 23 has a passage 25 extending'from end to end thereof, and a pipeor tube 25 is screwed or cemented into the passage 25 at the end adjacent the shell 2 and extends beyond'the end of the handle through the bore of "the sleeve 22 and into the larger diameter section of the passage l9; a i

The bore of the rubber sleeve 22 and the periphery of the tube 23 where it passes through the sleeve 22 are preferably both fluted endwise and tightly fitting, so that there will be no relative rotation of the handle 23 and the tube 26 in the sleeve 22; On the end of the tube 26 which is in the passage I9; is disposed a soft, rubber washer 2'! which abuts against" the end of sleeve 22, extends radially of tube 25 beyond the periphery of sleeve 22, and abuts against the shoulder 25. A nut'28 is threaded upon the end of the tube 26, anda rigid washer 29 is provided on the tube 25 between the nut 28 and the rubber washer 21. By tightening the nut 28, the handle 23 may be secured against removal from the shell 2, yet the sole connection between the handle 23 and the shell 2 will be through the interposed soft, resilient rubber. This makes it possible for the shell 2 to have a limited universal movement with respect to the handle 23 for a purpose which will be explained presently.

' mechanism and thus start the motor.

Bearing brackets 33 are. secured to the inner face of the plate 5 at spaced points along the length of the same, and these bearing members, adjacent their outer ends, have aligned, tubular cylindrical bearing portions 3| through which exframe has a rotary armature shaft which rotates,

when the motor is operated, about an axis preferably substantiallycoincident with the axis of unbalanced to a substantial extent, well in excessof any unintentional or accidental unbalance due to inaccuracy of manufacture of the motor, and the axis of rotation of this shaft is in a plane which is cross-wise 0f,and substantially perpendicular to, the'lengths of the bristles l.

The particular type of .motor illustrated in-Fig. 2 is of the make and break .type employing a horseshoe magnet energized by a coil 36 and having a soft iron core attracted into a position across the poles of the magnet when the coil is'energized. A make and break mechanism'31 is operated by therotary shaft at the proper intervals so as to ale-energize the coil 35 as the, armature moves into a straight across position with respect'to the poles of the electromagnet. This is a well known type of simple and inexpensivemotor which'is used extensively in'many electric dry shavers or razors, but in accordance with this invention the shaft is provided with a weight atone side of its axis of rotation, so as to provide therefor, a substantial axial unbalance. The coil 36 is connected in series with the make and break'mechanism 31 and with circuit wires 38 which extend through the tube 25 and passage 25 of the handle to the outer end thereof, and then sufficiently further to enable connection to a suitable commercial current outlet. There should be sufficient slack wire J; to enable the handle'23 to be grasped and the brush manipulated in brushing the scalp without interference from the wires 38, as usual in electric razors. Soft, resilient rubber pads 39 are interposed between the frame 34 and the plate 5, so as'to yieldingly resist rotation of the frame 34 about the pins 35.

When a hairbrush constructed as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 has the wires 38 connected to a source of current, a quick sudden sidewise movement of the brush while grasping the handle 23 will cause the unbalanced weight on the rotary shaft of the motor to start the shaft turning far enough to cause the make and break mechanism to close the circuit to the coil 36, and thereupon, the motor will start regular operation. If desired, the motor may have a disc on its rotary shaft exposed through a slot in the shell 2 by which the shaft may be given a short rotary increment of movement sufiicient to close the make and break posed disc for starting this type of motor is common in electric razors or dry shavers. As the shaft of the motor rotates, the unbalanced weight thereon will tend to drag the motor bodily with it in a closed loop path about the axis of rotation of the motor shaft, which force, tending to move the motor bodily, will depend, for the value of it,,

This ex-.

arcane in part upon the amount of the unbalance, or the weightwhich constitutes theunbalance. lIhe mom: is. spaced. everywhere from. the plate 5*, and is solely and floatingly mounted on the plate 5 only from the rubber cushions or bushings; 33 amt the pads 3.9. The motor isth'ns free to: float crmovebodilmor to gyrate bodily, in a closed loop path of small amplitude about. the axisof rotatibrm of the: shaft, the extent of. gyrationv or diamstar of the. path. being. determined to some extent In the resiliency of the rubber which moxmts: the motor frame and. the extent of the unbalance.

Since the: resilient supports for the motor are curled by the plate 5, the moving mass of the motor wills impart gyratory impulses to the plate 5 and through it to the shell 2 including the member 6 and the bristles F, and thus the bristles i will. be given gyratory impulses about an. axis in a plane perpendicular to the lengths of. the bristles. When the bristles are applied. to the scalp, as in the act of brushing the scalp, the bristles will transmit the gyratory impulses to the scalp and thereby induce in the scalp, an im proved circulation of blood which greatly improve the health of the scalp and creates a pleasant and healthful stimulation of the scalp. This action occurs even while the brush is being moved over the scalp with the bristles performing their usual function of brushing the scalp to remove dandruff and to straighten or brush the hair. Because of the floating mounting between the handle 23 and the shell 2, the shell 2 can gyrate to a substantial extent independently of the handle 23, and thus the gyratory impulses given to the bristles by the motor in the shell 2 will not be damped or restricted unduly by the firm grasping of the handle 23 in ones hand while using the brush. Preferably, the axis of the handle tube 26 is parallel to the axis of rotation of the unbalanced motor shaft.

When one desires to remove the bristles for sterilizing or cleaning, it is merely necessary to spring the latch I to the left in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to release the member 6. The member 6 can then be swung outwardly slightly at its re- 45 leased end, and then moved endwise to remove its undercut portion 9 from beneath the ledges 8. The plate will be held in the shell 2 by the latch III while the member 6 is being sterilized or washed. After the bristles have been carefully washed and sterilized, they can be re-applied to the open face 3 of the shell 2 by first inserting one end beneath the ledges 8 and then swinging the other end of the member 6 against the plate 5 until it cams aside and passes the latching shoulder of the latch l0. Latch l0 holds member 6 securely in the shell 2, with the arms of the spring l6 under compression.

In Fig. 5, a slightly different manner of detachably fastening the member 6 is illustrated. When using this embodiment of the invention, the latch I0 is omitted andthe ledges 8' are applied to the end of the shell 2 where the latch It was previously applied, and, at the handle engaging end of the shell 2, which is the end shown in Fig. 2, a, small plate is confined for sliding movement in a small recess 4| by the head of a screw 42 that passes through a slot 43 in the plate 39 into the shell 2. This plate 39 has an outwardly turned flange at one end by which it can be shifted into and out of overhanging rela tion to the member 6, so as to confine it against the plate 5. To release the member 6 which carrics the bristles l, the member 6 is first pushed inwardly slightly to compress the spring It; whereupon the plate 39 may be moved sidewise until it no longer overhangs the member 8', and them the member 6 can. be. removed by the same typeof movement used to remove member 6 in Figs. 1 to 4. Inother words, the latch l-U- is merely: replaced. by the sliding plate 39 ,v but with the plate and ledges atthe ends of. the shell. 2 opposite from the. ledges and fastening. means of Figs. 1 to 4..

In Fig. 6', aslight modification of the connection between the handle 23 and the shell 2 is illustrated, the main difference being that the nut 23- and' washer 29 are replaced by a nut 44 which overhangs the shoulder 2| and abuts directly against the rubber washer 21. The nut 44 is provided with apertures 45 extending from face to face thereof, so that when the nut 44 is tightened against the rubberwasher 21, the rubber of the washer will bulge into the openings 45, as shown in Fig. 6, and serve as keys or yielding pins that will resist accidental unscrewing 0f the nut 44.

While the brush has been referred to as a hair brush, it will be understood that it has been so designated because the device appears to be most useful as a hair brush, and that the novel features embodied therein may be used for any other device where similar problems are encountered.

Throughout the wherever the term rubber" has been used, it is to be understood that such term is intended to include within its scope, not only natural rubher and sponge rubber, but also any and all of the synthetic rubbers or rubber substitutes which may be available and which have similar soft, resilient properties, or any other equivalent soft, resilient cushioning means.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hairbrush comprising a shell having an open face with an outwardly facing shoulder adjacent said open face, a plate abutting against said shoulder and removable through said open face, a member disposed face to face against the outer face of said plate and carrying a plurality of bristles extending in the same general direction from the outer face of said member, resilient plate across and closing said opening, and means mounted in said shell on the inner face of said plate for imparting to said plate, and through it, to said member and bristles, gyratory impulses about a small closed loop path having an axis in a plane cross-wise of the lengths of said bristles.

2. A hairbrush comprising a shell having an open face with an outwardly facing shoulder along a substantial part of said open face, but spaced inwardly from said open face, a plate disposed across said open face and abutting fiat against said shoulder, a member having bristles extending in the same direction from one face thereof, disposed in said open face with its face opposite the bristle carrying face adjacent said plate, said shell having at one edge, a recess in which an edge of specification and claims cent faces of said plate and member and urging 5 the latter out of said shell, an electric motor disposed within said shell and having an axially unbalanced rotary shaft driven thereby, means for confining said'motor to the inner face of said plate, and soft, resilient, cushioning means interposed between said motor and said plate and forming the sole and floating support for said motor on said plate, with the axis of rotation of said shaft in a plane cross-wise of the lengths of said 15 bristles.

HOWARD W. McCREADY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

Number Number 8 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Richmond Sept. 26, 1905 Acton June 1, 1909 Lumsden Apr. 19, 1910 Wilson Apr. 6, 1915 Soss Aug. 11, 1931' Soss July 19, 1932 Taylor July 23, 1935 Cosby Jan. 14, 1941 Daniels '.Apr. 22,1941: Bobbroif May 12,1942 Thomas June 23,1942 Wettlaufer -L. Jan. 5, 1943 Tompkins Mar. 8, 1944' FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France of 1982. France of 1934 Switzerland Jan'. 3, 1938 

